NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Man this guy doesn't get it...

 

I'm glad the process is over, but I don't feel any better like I thought I would.

 

Colts owner Jim Irsay believes another Super Bowl title is possible with Matt Ryan at QB

Even after franchise quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck have walked out the Colts' door, team owner Jim Irsay's optimism for building another Super Bowl-winning roster hasn't waned.

As Irsay told The Athletic this week, the goals have not changed just because the QBs have -- again.

"It's to go and get that next Lombardi Trophy," Irsay said in his annual state-of-the-franchise chat during training camp. "This is a time to set up another generation of greatness."

And it's not as if the Colts don't suddenly have some measure of cachet at the position now. The Colts traded for Matt Ryan this offseason, presumably giving the team more stability than it has had at QB since Luck suddenly retired in the 2019 preseason.

Indianapolis have started four different quarterbacks the past three seasons, essentially stacking three one-year experiments with Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz as the team's starters. Now it's the 37-year-old Ryan's turn, and the way Irsay is talking, the owner doesn't see another one-year rental at the position.

"We went through the season with some inconsistency at quarterback that led to massive problems," Irsay said.

Sure, Irsay wants to win -- and win big -- for personal reasons and for the team he owns. But he also wants to see Ryan's redemption story fit into that narrative.


"We're set up for excellence," Irsay proclaimed. "Now we just have to do it. And Matt Ryan has that same feeling in his heart. You know that difficult loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl (when Ryan was with the Falcons), he's here to get his Lombardi. This is the time.

"This is a time to set up another generation of greatness."

There's optimism now, sure. But a mere seven months ago, the owner was seething. According to this report, Irsay lashed out at Colts head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard to fix the problems that stemmed from the team's stunning Week 18 loss to the lowly Jaguars, knocking the Colts from a sure playoff spot.

The Colts have since added Ryan, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue and others, including a very solid draft despite lacking a first-rounder thanks to the failed Wentz trade. Irsay likes this team's current makeup, he said.

"I think (those issues) were addressed probably in an even more exciting way than I had hoped," he said.

If that team makeup changes down the road, as it always does, Irsay vowed not to allow All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to be part of it. Nelson is currently playing on his fifth-year option, due to be a free agent next spring. The Colts and Nelson are believed to be negotiating a long-term deal to keep him on the team for the foreseeable future, but those talks remain ongoing.

"I see that (Nelson extension) getting done, I really do," Irsay said. "It's just a question of timing, and moving towards an agreement, like I always say, that favors both sides and is good for both sides.

"But you know we've never had a problem there when you look at the history of our franchise and our outstanding players going into second contracts, whether it's been Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison or whoever. So I see that getting done."

NFL.com

 

I think the optimism is cool. Why not think SB with Ryan? Thats why they went after him in the first place.

Colts are a talented squad and will be a viable force in my opinion. Solid RB's, stable QB... play some defense and who knows?

 

Lock tested positive for Covid-19, so Geno Smith will likely start tonights game for the Seahawks.

 

I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what he can do with a GOOD team. Matthew Stafford showed what he can do when he finally escaped from Detroit. It's Ryan's turn to show what he can do now that he has a roster with a few of those little extra touches that Atlanta didn't have, like receivers, blocking, defense, and a running game.

 

1. More of the same for the Bears. Unfortunately, Thursday’s game featured some of the same issues that plagued the Bears’ offense last season. Justin Fields only played one series, but in that drive he ended up scrambling or making dicey short throws, resulting in minimal to no yardage. This can be partially attributed to the lack of protection he was getting from his offensive line, another issue that has carried over from 2021. The combination of a struggling O-line and an uneasy QB doesn’t bode well for Chicago, unless the team can improve significantly on both counts before Week 1. However, one spark of hope came when Fields rolled out of the pocket and made a pretty 19-yard pass to tight end Cole Kmet to extend the drive. The Fields-Kmet connection appeared strong in the limited snaps they played together, as Fields targeted him three times, completing two passes for 31 yards on the first drive.
2. Geno can’t seal the deal. With Drew Lock unable to start Thursday’s game as planned due to COVID, Geno Smith had a golden opportunity to potentially wrap up the QB competition and support Pete Carroll's comments from earlier this week that he was the team's No. 1 quarterback. But faced with the opportunity to solidify his position, Smith was unable to lead a scoring drive. Seattle only had one first down in its first three drives, and that came on a 33-yard run from RB Travis Homer. The offense just couldn’t get anything going. Smith made a few nice passes, but he couldn’t string a series of plays together and convert yards into points. Not all of this can be blamed on the QB, as there were some big drops by his receivers, but some other throws could have been placed better. Smith finished 10 for 18 for 112 yards and no touchdowns in two quarters of play, and suffered a bruise knee, according to Carroll. It wasn’t the kind of performance he needed to all but secure him the starting role. Instead, he left the door open for Lock to make his case for being the starter when he returns for Seattle’s final preseason game next week.

NFL.com

 

TONIGHTS NFL ACTION...

 

1. Collins kick-starts offense. The Texans weren't producing any offense early in the game, but wide receiver Nico Collins' touchdown catch to end the first half woke them up, giving Houston the lead on what might have been the best play of the night. Reports from Houston's preseason practices have indicated that the second-year wide receiver could be primed for a breakout year, and late in the first half Collins backed up those claims with a touchdown grab that was worthy of a highlight reel. Quarterback Davis Mills lofted a pass to the side of the end zone, where Collins went up to grab it. Despite Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick tackling him in the air, getting a hand on the ball and bringing Collins to the ground, the receiver managed to hold on and keep his feet in. After a review, the touchdown call was confirmed. Collins finished with four receptions for 48 yards and the touchdown, perhaps offering a preview of what's to come this year for the young receiver.
2. Rookie CB makes his mark. The Rams may have found another diamond in the rough with Cobie Durant, as the rookie cornerback had an impressive showing Friday. Durant broke up a long pass from Mills, almost intercepting the throw. Pleased with his young player's efforts, head coach Sean McVay could be seen pumping his fist in approval from the sidelines. Durant also collected two tackles (one for a loss), a quarterback hit and a sack in Friday's contest. Los Angeles is known for eschewing high draft picks in order to acquire players via trade, and as a result they've gotten very good at finding sleeper picks from Day 2 and 3 of the draft and turning them into everyday starters. If Durant can continue on this path, the fourth-round pick might turn out to be another Rams success story.

NFL.com

 

1. No turnovers for Love. Jordan Love's preseason outing last week versus the 49ers was up and down, with the main takeaway being the three interceptions he threw. But Love looked significantly more comfortable this week, as he was making quality throws from the pocket despite consistent pressure from the Saints defense. Love's longest completion of the night was a 21-yard pass to Juwann Winfree in the second quarter which he dropped right into the receiver's arms, and out of reach of defenders. And that wasn't the only throw Love made where he managed to place it in exactly the right spot where only his target could get his hands on it. Love finished the game 12 for 24 for 113 yards and a touchdown, and while the overall numbers weren't astounding, the lack of turnovers is a great sign for the young QB as he gains experience.
2. Olave makes an impression. Chris Olave, the 2022 No. 11 overall pick, had a highlight moment in Friday's contest, somersaulting into the end zone for the Saints' first touchdown of the night. The New Orleans offense had been quiet for most of the first half and had only three points with less than a minute left on the clock. But after the Saints got the ball back off of a Packers fumble with 40 seconds left in the half, the Saints offense put together a quick 37-yard drive capped by quarterback Ian Book's on-the-run pass to the corner of the end zone, where Olave flipped and held the ball out over the pylon to secure the 20-yard score. With the third-string QB on the field, offensive opportunities on Friday were limited, but the rookie wideout made himself seen with the grab. Now just think of what he might do with Jameis Winston passing.

NFL.com

 

1. The maturation of Mac Jones and the Patriots offense. While their defense was dastardly (in a good way), the Patriots' looming concern is the offense. As conundrums continue relating to who's calling plays in the aftermath of Josh McDaniels leaving for Las Vegas, the primary concern is obviously how Mac Jones and his teammates learn and execute. The start of Friday's game was dreadful, but Jones and Co. showed in-game progress and any type of positive is important at this juncture. A sack, three incompletions in three attempts for Jones and three yards gained overall on back-to-back three-and-outs told the tale of the Patriots' first two drives. It was ugly. It got a lot prettier on the third drive. Most notably, Jones hooked up on a beautiful 45-yard play with wide receiver Nelson Agholor. It was part of a 10-play, 81-yard scoring drive culminated by a Ty Montgomery 2-yard touchdown. After his 0-3 start, Jones went 4 of 5 for 61 yards on the scoring drive -- his last of the game. It's apparent this isn't an overnight process for the Patriots' offense. On Friday, it was ugly early with a good showing to end it for the first-team offense.
2. Growing pains for No. 6 pick. During joint practices ahead of the Panthers-Patriots tilt Friday, headlines were garnered by daily donnybrooks that dampened practices. Beyond those headlines were reports that Matt Judon, Deatrich Wise and the Pats' pass-rushing initiative were overwhelming the Panthers offensive line. That didn't change Friday. Put into the starting left tackle spot, No. 6 overall pick Ickey Ekwonu has one of the brighter spotlights an O-lineman can have shining on him. Ekwonu struggled -- though so did the rest of the line. The Patriots posted sacks on back-to-back plays on the Panthers' second drive. The first was had by Wise, who lined up against Ekwonu and stunted inside. The next came from Josh Uche, whose outside speed rush left Ekwonu behind him searching for answers. As a positive foreshadowing, Ekwonu looked impressive and intimidating pulling on a run play and gobbling up a cornerback. However, on a similar play, he was blasted backward by safety Kyle Dugger. Ekwonu is only 21 years old and he's most often going to be on an island at left tackle. There are no conclusions to be had for first-round rookies in the second game of the preseason. There will be growing pains for Ekwonu, and the hope is that Friday was an example of that rather than a foreshadowing of what lies ahead.

NFL.com

 

Dameon Pierce didn’t play in preseason Week 2, likely because he’s already earned No. 1 job



Technically, the Texans are listing rookie Dameon Pierce as their third-string running back, behind Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead. But unofficially, Pierce appears to have the starting running back job locked up.

The strongest sign that Pierce is the Texans’ No. 1 running back came from what Pierce didn’t do in Friday night’s second preseason game: Pierce didn’t play, and head coach Lovie Smith said afterward that the Texans didn’t need to see him. That’s usually the approach that teams take with starters, not with third-stringers.


Pierce was the Texans’ leading rusher in their first preseason game last week, and reports out of training camp have indicated that Pierce is the best running back on the field.

It also helps Pierce that neither Mack nor Burkhead looked particularly good on Friday night: Mack had eight carries for 29 yards and no catches; Burkhead had two carries for five yards and three catches for nine yards.

Officially, the Texans aren’t ready to hand the starting job to their fourth-round rookie just yet, but suffice to say he’s the heavy favorite to be their leading rusher this season, starting in Week One.

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Todays NFL Action...

 

Josh Allen looked sharp... as to be expected.

 

I guess some minor level of congratulations for Detroit might be in order... they just snapped a 9-game preseason losing streak.

Indy did score the tying touchdown but since nobody wants to go to overtime in preseason, they went for two and failed. So in the end the scrubs who won't make the Lions roster beat the scrubs who won't make the Colts roster. And there was much rejoicing.

 

A bit from an article on the Falcons-Jets joint practices that I found interesting... there tend to be more injuries on the second day of joint practices. For this reason, Jets head coach Robert Saleh recommended that the Jets and Falcons go no-pads for their second day together and keep the contact minimal.

The two head coaches worked out the general plan and the segment schedule for both practice sessions ahead of time, the teams did what they needed to do, and there were no major injuries and... NO FIGHTS. The lines had a bit of a stare-down at one point on the first day, but that's as far as it got. And the coaches stepped in on that one to make absolutely sure that no one had any dumbass ideas of taking it any farther on an upcoming play.

 

TODAYS NFL ACTION...

 

KaVontae Turpin returns a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in first half



KaVontae Turpin showed why he was the USFL MVP this spring. If there was any doubt about his spot on the Cowboys’ roster before Saturday night, Turpin answered it during the first half against the Chargers.

Turpin returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter following a Chargers’ field goal. He added an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown 52 seconds before halftime.


Turpin also had a run for 7 yards, and the Cowboys lead the Chargers 29-10 at halftime.

Turpin played for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL. He caught 44 passes for league-leading 540 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games, while rushing for 129 yards and a touchdown. He also had 184 punt return yards and was the only player in the league to score a touchdown on a kick return, going 71 yards against Michigan in Week 9.

He remained an NFL free agent until July 28, two days into the Cowboys’ training camp.

Turpin will take punt return duties from No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb and kickoff return duties from backup running back Tony Pollard. Both Lamb and Pollard are expected to play big roles on offense.

Turpin spent three seasons with TCU, becoming the top returner in program history with four punt return touchdowns and two on kickoffs. He also contributed 13 receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. Turpin was kicked off the TCU program in 2018 for two domestic violence charges.

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